The OregonianMurg Saag, Punjabi Kadi and naan.For whatever reason, getting Indian food for lunch has become synonymous with visiting a buffet. Not that there's anything wrong with paying one flat rate for multiple entrees and side dishes. And you can't beat the efficiency. But sometimes it's nice to have a more refined meal amid the workaday crunch. That's when it's time to go to East India Co. Grill & Bar.

The chow: The menu is a mix of familiar (curry, kebabs) and less-seen dishes (laziz paslian, or lamb chops grilled tandoor-style).

Real deal: The "Colonel's Lunch," the least expensive of the three lunch options, is a major spread. For $8.95, you can enjoy a basket of papadum, the crisp lentil wafers that are India's answer to potato chips; a basket of beautifully puffy naan bread; your choice of three curries on white or brown rice; and a wee but refreshing salad.

Hangout factor: Clear your head of all those office e-mails in the quiet, pretty dining room.

Liquids: The restaurant has a full bar, but for those of us who have to return to the office after lunch, there's chai tea.

What's half-baked? Lunch is available only as a prix-fixe multi-course production -- it's the opposite extreme of the buffet.